The Shades of Green program was launched in 2012 as a pilot program and has expanded to additional areas of the county that have a high level of impervious surfaces. The goal of this initiative is to enhance the tree canopy cover, reduce heat island effect and beautify the community. The program is financed through the Forest Conservation Fund, which primarily consists of fees paid by developers when tree planting on their own development sites is impractical.

To better understand Montgomery County’s tree cover, county planners analyze the layer of leaves and branches that cover the ground when viewed from above. High-resolution aerial imagery reveals much lower tree canopy levels in urban areas than in more suburban neighborhoods. Increasing the number of trees in urban areas will expand the tree canopy cover, resulting in numerous benefits, including the following: